Ok, Suprisingly I am still here at the Library :/ Not sure when we are gonna leave. Elder Laelau isnt ready to leave yet so me and Elder Oxley are kinda just stuck here untill he is ready to take off.
But can you please look into my whole retainer deal? and I have no clue what to ask for Christmas. I know I forgot those gloves that I love so much at home. They are the tan ones with the leather grips. Could you send those to me sometime? Maybe a hoodie too? Just one thats lying around the house like my black one from swim team would be fine. If I think of anything else I will make a list and email it to you next week!
Oh and I think That I get to call you from President Kings office when my visa finally does get here. Not sure how long we will get to talk. But if you dont pick up I am sure President Staehli will let me call from Paris. Or I'll call from the Airport or something. the Point is I'm sure I will get to talk to you at some point!
Anyways I love you! Any other questions that I am forgetting... Oh the Turkey bowl! We are playing with the Monroe ward. Apparently Elder Laelau is suppper goood at football so I am excited to see him play. But I think a few other missionaries are coming to play with out ward. Not quite sure who but I think Elder Asher and Olsen will be there along with the Zone Leaders Elder Jones and Elder Koopman. Ill try and remember to take pictures and Ill start working on a way to get them to you? Anything else you wanna know?
OH NOOO!!! Thats no good! I would be so sad if you lost that Job :( Something that might help you be on time is to think about how you know that job is no doubt a blessing from the Lord. And in order to show your gratitude for that blessing you need to respect it and be on time. Since I have been on my mission I have had an oppurtunity or two when I was on a plane or someplace where my choice of activities were limited. and what I ended up doing was thinking of all the blessing I have recieved and thanking the lord for them.
Thats awesome that it is snowing there! I am kinda jealous! To be honest I don't know the names of the families who have invited us over for meals! But I do know that we have 1 lunch, 2 dinners, and a dessert lined up so we will be WELL FED.
A new stake president huh? thats pretty cool! make sure and let me know who it is when you find out! If you see President Burnham make sure and tell him I say hi!
I will email grae real fast and ask her about it!
It's so exciting to hear about all the wonderful things that are happening back home! Thanks for your prayers! Off to go play basketball with the ZL's!
Love you soo much!!! :) HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Hey Mom!
Before I forget, when you post the computer on craigslist dont forget to mention that there is still 11/2 years left on the warranty for the computer. and another thing that i am kinda stressed about and i completely forgot to email you last week about it.... i lost my retainer for my teeth at the mtc? I looked everywhere for it but I think somebody through it away..... Any ideas on how i could get a new one. I really dont want to have to get braces again when I get home. anyways moving on!
But I am really loving my stay here in Georgia. I have met so many nice people! I spent most of this past week on a exchange down with in a town called fort yargo. it was pretty cool. The missionaries who are serving there are Elder Olsen and Elder Ashley. I am excited to go to fort yargo again though. I think I will learn a lot from it. The Fort Yargo area is on Bike so I like that too. Its nice to get some exercise on the way to a members house where we eat so much food.
We didnt get to do the Radio Show this week because we had a motivational speaker come. But The Assistants made sure to tell me that the show did very well this past week and they were really excited to have somebody who was able to do the broadcast in french. But I think we should be doing it again this week so I am excited!
As for pictures. I will work on that this week. It is kind of tough cause I dont want to spend money on printing them out but maybe I can figure a way to send some digital copies to you. Ill talk to the other missionaries here and figure out what they do. But I will for sure figure something out by next week.
I am glad everything seems to be going so well. I am super happy you like your job, I hope the shifts get a little easier for you. You'll be happy to know that I am quickly gaining a reputation of being a hard worker when it comes to service here. I think it really means a lot to the people here that we know how to work hard just because of the agriculture and the history here.
But I am super stoked for thanksgiving here. We have got a lot of meals lined up and ofcourse the Turkey Bowl. I am really happy my I will be in the united states for thanksgiving to be honest!
But I am going to go ahead and send this email but I will be on for another hour or two so reply back if you get the chance!?
Oh do you know what date max is leaving for Hawaii? does he have an address for his new house yet? Tell him I think he should stay there and to think about what he said in the letters he wrote to me.
But I love you mom! Thanks for all the emails!!!
Before I forget, when you post the computer on craigslist dont forget to mention that there is still 11/2 years left on the warranty for the computer. and another thing that i am kinda stressed about and i completely forgot to email you last week about it.... i lost my retainer for my teeth at the mtc? I looked everywhere for it but I think somebody through it away..... Any ideas on how i could get a new one. I really dont want to have to get braces again when I get home. anyways moving on!
But I am really loving my stay here in Georgia. I have met so many nice people! I spent most of this past week on a exchange down with in a town called fort yargo. it was pretty cool. The missionaries who are serving there are Elder Olsen and Elder Ashley. I am excited to go to fort yargo again though. I think I will learn a lot from it. The Fort Yargo area is on Bike so I like that too. Its nice to get some exercise on the way to a members house where we eat so much food.
We didnt get to do the Radio Show this week because we had a motivational speaker come. But The Assistants made sure to tell me that the show did very well this past week and they were really excited to have somebody who was able to do the broadcast in french. But I think we should be doing it again this week so I am excited!
As for pictures. I will work on that this week. It is kind of tough cause I dont want to spend money on printing them out but maybe I can figure a way to send some digital copies to you. Ill talk to the other missionaries here and figure out what they do. But I will for sure figure something out by next week.
I am glad everything seems to be going so well. I am super happy you like your job, I hope the shifts get a little easier for you. You'll be happy to know that I am quickly gaining a reputation of being a hard worker when it comes to service here. I think it really means a lot to the people here that we know how to work hard just because of the agriculture and the history here.
But I am super stoked for thanksgiving here. We have got a lot of meals lined up and ofcourse the Turkey Bowl. I am really happy my I will be in the united states for thanksgiving to be honest!
But I am going to go ahead and send this email but I will be on for another hour or two so reply back if you get the chance!?
Oh do you know what date max is leaving for Hawaii? does he have an address for his new house yet? Tell him I think he should stay there and to think about what he said in the letters he wrote to me.
But I love you mom! Thanks for all the emails!!!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Hey Mom!!!
So i am here in Monroe Georgia. I got to meet President And Sister King when I first arrived. I Really dont even know where to begin. I have two companions Elder Laelau (Lay-Lou) from sanfrancsico and Elder Oxley from West Jordan Utah. They are both pretty cool guys. But I already miss Elder Wollauer from the MtC. But I AM getting along with them just great! Me and Elder Laelau are becoming really close. We have gotten to visit quite a few innactive members while we have been here, and we arent seeing many results but we have decided that innactive memebers is where our focus needs to be for the moment.
I guess the main reason the president told me I was assigned to this area was because of the radio show. The church uses a members home to do a international broadcast on Saturday mornings(this is just one of the many programs the church has i think)- but there are quite a few people who listen from Haiti, France and various other French speaking islands. I tried to tell the President my french wasnt quite up to par to speak to what he says is anywhere from 300,000-600,000 people who listen each saturday morning (the MAJORITY of whom speak french) but he insisted that I do my best. Well I did it. And I thought it went pretty good. Boy, was I nervous! And I guess it doesnt matter if my grammar was correct, just as long as people were able to feel the spirit and know how much I love the gospel.
It was kind of funny though, when the president first pulled me aside to tell me about this and he told me that they had as many as a million people tune in durring one show I painted this image of some grand radio show room with all this expensive equipment.... it was not like that at all. It was a bedroom with a computer and a small peice radio board that someone had bought at radioshack for a hundred bucks. It really made me think about how so little can touch and affect so many throughout the world.
I am gonna go ahead and just send this email, if you get it reply back as soon as possible, i should have about an hour or so more before we go eat lunch.
Momma J ????
Love you :)
Ok, so I wrote the rest of my emails. And I printed off that letter you sent me. I am excited to read it! but I figured I would go ahead and email you some more about Monroe just in case you dont get this until later today.
Life is good here. We are fed EVERY night! The food is delicious and the people are very nice. Monroe is an interesting place. the city is for the most part, extremely poor while there are some very wealthy members who live in the country. Most of the people we have visited have been in the city though. But I think I learned something, just because you are poor does not mean your house has to be in bad shape. I know that money does not buy happiness. I really do. But I have learned that failure to manage your money and have your priorities in order can and will bring UN-happiness.
I really do love the people here in my mission, we have been doing service since I got here and I really really like it here. But it just makes me sad. We heard some gun shots from our apartment on saturday night and it made me ask, why is this town like this? It is so suprising to me how much evil goes on in this world. Why would anybody ever want to live their lives in such a way that would make them so unhappy and angry all of the time. There are a lot of southern baptists here and as I have gotten to talk to them it has really strengthend my testimony of this church just because I can feel how unhappy these people are and angry. Its so sad, but it has helped me to realize how important it is as a missionary and as a member of this church, how important it is to be happy. and if youre not feeling happy, to fake being happy until you convince yourself you are happy. Nobody is gonna want to know the secret to being miserable. I think it is our responsablility as members of the church to be happy, ALL the time. I have made it my goal of my mission to be greatful for my challenges and trials WHILE they are happening. This assignment has been a challenge, but I am learning SOO much. And I am extremely confident that I can make this a very positive experience.
I love you mom, I hope you are not worried at all about me. I am happier than I have ever been. I am learning so much. I love the people here. I love the ward. I love my companions. and I love this mission. I am working hard. I have learned that if I dont like someone or something, that the best way to learn to love them is through service.
I love you mom! Talk to you soon!
Love, Elder Morgan
PS pday is monday, tell everybody I say hi and I love them. Especially Max.
President and Sister King
Steven Douglas King, 52, Georgia Atlanta North Mission; North Canyon 4th Ward, Bountiful Utah North Canyon Stake; regional young single adult adviser; former member of the Utah North Area Council on Youth, counselor in a stake presidency, bishop, high councilor, ward Young Men president, elders quorum president and missionary in the Germany Frankfurt Mission. Chief marketing officer and creative director, Ken Garff Automotive Group. Born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, to William Charles and Helen Marie Culp King. Married Michelle Milne, four children.
A regional young single adult adviser, Sister King is a former member of the Utah North Area Council on Youth, ward Primary president and counselor, ward Relief Society president and counselor, counselor and adviser in ward Young Women presidencies, gospel doctrine instructor and ward music chairman. Born in South Ruislip, England, to Donald Young and Shirley Renee Halversen Milne
A Brief Diversion
The Growth of the LDS Church in Georgia
The latest statistics show that there are just over 74,600 members of the LDS Church in Georgia…with 16 stakes, 106 wards, and 37 branches. There are also three missions—Macon, Atlanta, and ours—the Georgia Atlanta North. Basically, one in every 130 people in the state is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Atlanta Temple is not far away, and you will be able to attend with your zone periodically while you serve as a missionary here.
The earliest missionary efforts in Georgia began with John U. Eldredge in 1843. He preached here as he traveled from Alabama to North Carolina. The next time a missionary passed through…it was 1876, with the arrival of solider, orator and educator John Morgan. His very presence here was the fulfillment of an impressive dream 10 years earlier…and this is a story you’ll want to remember! He was living with Bishop Heywood’s family at the time in Salt Lake City and told Sister Heywood he’d had a dream the night before. He dreamed he was back in his Civil War stomping grounds on a road running from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Rome, Georgia. It was a road the soldiers walked many times. (Paraphrasing from Bryant S. Hinckley’s book, The Faith of Our Pioneer Fathers) Morgan says he dreamed he came to a fork in the road and couldn’t decide which fork led to Rome. He was amazed when he suddenly saw President Brigham Young standing in front of a big tree in the fork, who told him the right-hand road led to Rome. But Pres. Young said if John Morgan would take the left-hand road, he would have an experience that would give him a strong and abiding testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon. Morgan told Mrs. Heywood he wasn’t interested in the Book of Mormon or its divinity, but he was interested in knowing what she thought of his dream. Mrs. Heywood answered: “Mr. Morgan, I think I can give you some light concerning your dream. It is my conviction that the time is not far distant when you will become a member of our Church and that in due time you will be called to do missionary work in the Southern States. It is my thought that in your missionary work you will one day be following the road and will arrive at the fork you saw in your dream—but President Young will not be there. However I counsel you to remember his instructions and take the road that will lead to the left.” Mr. Morgan thanked her for her interpretation of his dream and soon forgot about it. About a year later—at age 25—he was baptized into the LDS Church.
Ten years later, John Morgan was traveling as a missionary from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Rome Georgia, when he came to a fork in the road. He was confused, and stopped. He didn’t know which road would take him to Rome. But it was then he realized that he had seen that fork in the road before…in his dream at the Heywood home ten years earlier! The large tree in the fork was there, but not President Young. Still, he vividly recalled the counsel he received—to take the left-hand road, which would lead him to a remarkable experience. He did and, after an hour’s walk, the road took him to the rim of a beautiful valley in northwestern Georgia. He learned the name of the place was Heywood Valley—the same name as the Heywood family he knew in Salt Lake! He stopped and taught the gospel at the first house then took a look at their family Bible. To his amazement, Elder Morgan found many of the scripture passages he used to explain the gospel principles were already underlined. The family said that 10 days before, a kindly, tidy, intelligent man had come to their home and had—with their permission—marked their Bible. The stranger explained to them that another man would come in a few days who would teach them the meaning of the marked passages and completely explain the great Plan of Salvation. Apparently, the kind stranger had done the same thing in other Heywood Valley homes—telling each family to look for the man who would come soon to explain the scriptures. That man had paved the way for John Morgan’s arrival, and many accepted the Gospel and were baptized. One of those converted was a Methodist pastor who was made the Presiding Elder of the Heywood Branch. The building previously used as a Methodist church then became a Mormon meetinghouse. John Morgan’s incredible dream had come true…and, “in his heart, he felt he had gained a missionary companion in none other than one of the Three Nephites.” In fact—while still in Heywood Valley—he wrote an epistle answering key questions of the soul that eventually became the first missionary tract. He named it The Plan of Salvation. John Morgan organized the Church’s first branch there (near Rome) in 1876….and, a few years later, it became Southern States Mission headquarters.
Many Church members migrated westward as missionary successes here led to violent opposition. Still, many pioneer member families joined, stayed in Georgia, and built up the Church. In the early 1900’s, Southern States Mission presidents directed that missionaries focus their work more in the cities during the winter and less in the countryside. The first convert in Savannah was baptized in 1901…and, in 1908, a branch was organized and the first meetinghouse built in Atlanta.
On May 5, 1957, Elders Mark E. Petersen and LeGrand Richards of the Quorum of the Twelve organized Georgia’s first stake in Atlanta. The stake boundaries covered the northern two-thirds of the state and had 3,000 members—so you can see how quickly the work has progressed in the last 50 years.
In 1983, the Atlanta Temple became the first temple built in the South and was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley, then second counselor in the First Presidency.
Under the direction of Elder Alexander B. Morrison of the Seventy in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, the Church really expanded in inner city Atlanta, and five branches were established in the central sections of town, including Asians and Hispanics. Then, in 1996, the Centennial Olympic Summer Games came to Atlanta. Hundreds of Church members volunteered during the games and President Hinckley visited—speaking to more than 13,000 members here.
There have been many noteworthy Church leaders who once headed the missionary effort in the Georgia area…including John Morgan, B. H. Roberts and J. Golden Kimball, who later became members of the First Council of the Seventy. Apostles Charles A. Callis and LeGrand Richards also served as Mission Presidents here prior to 1940.
The Georgia Atlanta North Mission was formed on July 1, 2003…preceded by the creation of many of the five stakes where you may serve during your mission:
Roswell Georgia Stake 1987 Lilburn Georgia Stake 1996
Marietta East Georgia Stake 1987 Athens Georgia Stake 2004
Sugar Hill Georgia Stake 1991
In April, 1984, Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone said “President Spencer W. Kimball stated, ‘Make no small plans; they have no magic to stir men’s souls.’ This is the vision I have for the South. I believe that one day the South will baptize more people into the church than all other English speaking missions in the world together…As pivotal teachers come into the church and have influence…We will baptize hundreds and thousands, tens of thousands.”
We are thrilled to have you come and serve with us and also catch the “Vision of the South.” It is real…it is something that can be accomplished while you are here on your mission as you work with all your “heart, might, mind and strength with an eye single to the glory of God.”
Welcome to the Georgia Atlanta North Mission…an exciting time…an exciting place!
A Vision of the South
“President Spencer W. Kimball stated, ‘Make no small plans: They have no magic to stir man's souls.’ This is the vision I have for the South. I believe that one day the South will baptize more people into the church than all other English speaking missions in the world together. There are great hosts of marvelous Baptists, and members of the Church of Christ, Methodists and Catholics who are honorable people, and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and love him. As they see the church veering off to the right or to the left of those basic teachings, they will begin to search for the truth. And as pivotal teachers come into the church and have influence, we will see the time when we will baptize hundreds and thousands, tens of thousands. In your day you will see a million members of the church in the South. There will be Temples plural in the South States. What a great call you have to serve with these marvelous people."
Talk given by Vaughn J. Featherstone, April 30, 1984
The latest statistics show that there are just over 74,600 members of the LDS Church in Georgia…with 16 stakes, 106 wards, and 37 branches. There are also three missions—Macon, Atlanta, and ours—the Georgia Atlanta North. Basically, one in every 130 people in the state is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Atlanta Temple is not far away, and you will be able to attend with your zone periodically while you serve as a missionary here.
The earliest missionary efforts in Georgia began with John U. Eldredge in 1843. He preached here as he traveled from Alabama to North Carolina. The next time a missionary passed through…it was 1876, with the arrival of solider, orator and educator John Morgan. His very presence here was the fulfillment of an impressive dream 10 years earlier…and this is a story you’ll want to remember! He was living with Bishop Heywood’s family at the time in Salt Lake City and told Sister Heywood he’d had a dream the night before. He dreamed he was back in his Civil War stomping grounds on a road running from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Rome, Georgia. It was a road the soldiers walked many times. (Paraphrasing from Bryant S. Hinckley’s book, The Faith of Our Pioneer Fathers) Morgan says he dreamed he came to a fork in the road and couldn’t decide which fork led to Rome. He was amazed when he suddenly saw President Brigham Young standing in front of a big tree in the fork, who told him the right-hand road led to Rome. But Pres. Young said if John Morgan would take the left-hand road, he would have an experience that would give him a strong and abiding testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon. Morgan told Mrs. Heywood he wasn’t interested in the Book of Mormon or its divinity, but he was interested in knowing what she thought of his dream. Mrs. Heywood answered: “Mr. Morgan, I think I can give you some light concerning your dream. It is my conviction that the time is not far distant when you will become a member of our Church and that in due time you will be called to do missionary work in the Southern States. It is my thought that in your missionary work you will one day be following the road and will arrive at the fork you saw in your dream—but President Young will not be there. However I counsel you to remember his instructions and take the road that will lead to the left.” Mr. Morgan thanked her for her interpretation of his dream and soon forgot about it. About a year later—at age 25—he was baptized into the LDS Church.
Ten years later, John Morgan was traveling as a missionary from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Rome Georgia, when he came to a fork in the road. He was confused, and stopped. He didn’t know which road would take him to Rome. But it was then he realized that he had seen that fork in the road before…in his dream at the Heywood home ten years earlier! The large tree in the fork was there, but not President Young. Still, he vividly recalled the counsel he received—to take the left-hand road, which would lead him to a remarkable experience. He did and, after an hour’s walk, the road took him to the rim of a beautiful valley in northwestern Georgia. He learned the name of the place was Heywood Valley—the same name as the Heywood family he knew in Salt Lake! He stopped and taught the gospel at the first house then took a look at their family Bible. To his amazement, Elder Morgan found many of the scripture passages he used to explain the gospel principles were already underlined. The family said that 10 days before, a kindly, tidy, intelligent man had come to their home and had—with their permission—marked their Bible. The stranger explained to them that another man would come in a few days who would teach them the meaning of the marked passages and completely explain the great Plan of Salvation. Apparently, the kind stranger had done the same thing in other Heywood Valley homes—telling each family to look for the man who would come soon to explain the scriptures. That man had paved the way for John Morgan’s arrival, and many accepted the Gospel and were baptized. One of those converted was a Methodist pastor who was made the Presiding Elder of the Heywood Branch. The building previously used as a Methodist church then became a Mormon meetinghouse. John Morgan’s incredible dream had come true…and, “in his heart, he felt he had gained a missionary companion in none other than one of the Three Nephites.” In fact—while still in Heywood Valley—he wrote an epistle answering key questions of the soul that eventually became the first missionary tract. He named it The Plan of Salvation. John Morgan organized the Church’s first branch there (near Rome) in 1876….and, a few years later, it became Southern States Mission headquarters.
Many Church members migrated westward as missionary successes here led to violent opposition. Still, many pioneer member families joined, stayed in Georgia, and built up the Church. In the early 1900’s, Southern States Mission presidents directed that missionaries focus their work more in the cities during the winter and less in the countryside. The first convert in Savannah was baptized in 1901…and, in 1908, a branch was organized and the first meetinghouse built in Atlanta.
On May 5, 1957, Elders Mark E. Petersen and LeGrand Richards of the Quorum of the Twelve organized Georgia’s first stake in Atlanta. The stake boundaries covered the northern two-thirds of the state and had 3,000 members—so you can see how quickly the work has progressed in the last 50 years.
In 1983, the Atlanta Temple became the first temple built in the South and was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley, then second counselor in the First Presidency.
Under the direction of Elder Alexander B. Morrison of the Seventy in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, the Church really expanded in inner city Atlanta, and five branches were established in the central sections of town, including Asians and Hispanics. Then, in 1996, the Centennial Olympic Summer Games came to Atlanta. Hundreds of Church members volunteered during the games and President Hinckley visited—speaking to more than 13,000 members here.
There have been many noteworthy Church leaders who once headed the missionary effort in the Georgia area…including John Morgan, B. H. Roberts and J. Golden Kimball, who later became members of the First Council of the Seventy. Apostles Charles A. Callis and LeGrand Richards also served as Mission Presidents here prior to 1940.
The Georgia Atlanta North Mission was formed on July 1, 2003…preceded by the creation of many of the five stakes where you may serve during your mission:
Roswell Georgia Stake 1987 Lilburn Georgia Stake 1996
Marietta East Georgia Stake 1987 Athens Georgia Stake 2004
Sugar Hill Georgia Stake 1991
In April, 1984, Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone said “President Spencer W. Kimball stated, ‘Make no small plans; they have no magic to stir men’s souls.’ This is the vision I have for the South. I believe that one day the South will baptize more people into the church than all other English speaking missions in the world together…As pivotal teachers come into the church and have influence…We will baptize hundreds and thousands, tens of thousands.”
We are thrilled to have you come and serve with us and also catch the “Vision of the South.” It is real…it is something that can be accomplished while you are here on your mission as you work with all your “heart, might, mind and strength with an eye single to the glory of God.”
Welcome to the Georgia Atlanta North Mission…an exciting time…an exciting place!
A Vision of the South
“President Spencer W. Kimball stated, ‘Make no small plans: They have no magic to stir man's souls.’ This is the vision I have for the South. I believe that one day the South will baptize more people into the church than all other English speaking missions in the world together. There are great hosts of marvelous Baptists, and members of the Church of Christ, Methodists and Catholics who are honorable people, and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and love him. As they see the church veering off to the right or to the left of those basic teachings, they will begin to search for the truth. And as pivotal teachers come into the church and have influence, we will see the time when we will baptize hundreds and thousands, tens of thousands. In your day you will see a million members of the church in the South. There will be Temples plural in the South States. What a great call you have to serve with these marvelous people."
Talk given by Vaughn J. Featherstone, April 30, 1984
A Big Move
Mason called on Sunday, November 7, 2010 from the MTC and said that he would be leaving in the wee hours of morning to Atlanta to stay there until his visa arrives. It was a joy to hear his voice and have the opportunity to talk about his experiences in the MTC. I'm so very proud of him and am LOVING hearing his love for his fellow man as well as his testimony grow.
See the letter below from Sis. Michelle King as well as a few of the attachments she sent along with the letter about the mission. We're very excited for this unique opportunity for Mason while he is on his mission!! Take a look!!
Hi, parents...
Just wanted to let you know your sons got here --they're in good health and good spirits! We're so happy to have them serve with us, for however long that is--until their visas come through. Thank you for raising such great young missionaries--we're looking forward to getting to know them better.
Thought I'd attach a few things particular to our mission that you might enjoy. Our Preparation Days are on Mondays here...so that's when they'll be reading any emails you may send. If you'd like to surface mail them a letter, please send it to:
(Missionary's Name)
Georgia Atlanta North Mission
1150 Cole Drive
Lilburn, Georgia 30047
Take care... Any questions or concerns, please email me!
Sister King
Friday, November 5, 2010
Hey Mom,
My email time this week is REALLY resticted. Im sorry this email wont be too long.:( I hope I can find a way to print out your letter! But YES, I GOT THE PACKAGE! And yes I shared all of it with everybody in my district. It was perfect because we got it right around Halloween so we had a little Halloween Celebration! But Everybody says Thank you! I dont think I need money. I think you are right, they do sell ear plugs here I just never saw them the first few times I went to the store.
But Guess what! On Wednesday the Church flew me to the Consulate in San Fransisco to sign for my visa! It turned about to be awesome. We left the MTC on a bus at about 4 in the morning that took us to the airport where we caught a flight to California. Then we spent the day there, went to the consulate and got to have lunch on Pier 39! It was really awesome. The coolest thing was that The Giants and won the world series and so the day that we were there there was a Huge Celebration, and a parade too! So everybody was going CRAZY. But It was something that I Will never forget.
Me and my companion continue to get closer and get along better. Please tell Max that the MTC has asked us to ONLY write letters on Fridays and so I will be replying to him today. However, I DO NOT KNOw when I am leaving the MTC. I am waiting for my visa at the moment. I should find out later today. But i am 95 percent sure I will be leaving before next friday. The consulate says it takes about 7 days for the Visa to get here and I signed for it on wednesday. Hopegully it all works out. So, the Church allows us to make ONE 30 minute phonecall from the airport before we depart. So I know that you have work and school and you are crazy busy- But If you get a random phonecall from a SLC Airport pay phone its probably just me calling to tell you I love you and I am on my way to Paris.
I am still LOVING the MTC! Me and Elder Wollauer were talking last night, and we both agreed that we are NOT quite ready to leave yet. We are making such good friends here! But I am still so excited to go to Paris. The travel office told me to stop by the office today after noon (friday) and they should be able to give me SOME idea of when I will be leaving. But I will let you know as soon as I can.
I am doing extremely well here with my french. It is coming along just great. I can pretty much read and understand everything in the Scriptures however there are still occasions when I struggle or it takes me a few mins to figure out. I have taught a few practice lessons in french so far and have another tonight but those are going just great also.
Anyways my time is up but I love you soo Much. I hope you are still doing just great!
Love you momma,
-Elder Morgan
My email time this week is REALLY resticted. Im sorry this email wont be too long.:( I hope I can find a way to print out your letter! But YES, I GOT THE PACKAGE! And yes I shared all of it with everybody in my district. It was perfect because we got it right around Halloween so we had a little Halloween Celebration! But Everybody says Thank you! I dont think I need money. I think you are right, they do sell ear plugs here I just never saw them the first few times I went to the store.
But Guess what! On Wednesday the Church flew me to the Consulate in San Fransisco to sign for my visa! It turned about to be awesome. We left the MTC on a bus at about 4 in the morning that took us to the airport where we caught a flight to California. Then we spent the day there, went to the consulate and got to have lunch on Pier 39! It was really awesome. The coolest thing was that The Giants and won the world series and so the day that we were there there was a Huge Celebration, and a parade too! So everybody was going CRAZY. But It was something that I Will never forget.
Me and my companion continue to get closer and get along better. Please tell Max that the MTC has asked us to ONLY write letters on Fridays and so I will be replying to him today. However, I DO NOT KNOw when I am leaving the MTC. I am waiting for my visa at the moment. I should find out later today. But i am 95 percent sure I will be leaving before next friday. The consulate says it takes about 7 days for the Visa to get here and I signed for it on wednesday. Hopegully it all works out. So, the Church allows us to make ONE 30 minute phonecall from the airport before we depart. So I know that you have work and school and you are crazy busy- But If you get a random phonecall from a SLC Airport pay phone its probably just me calling to tell you I love you and I am on my way to Paris.
I am still LOVING the MTC! Me and Elder Wollauer were talking last night, and we both agreed that we are NOT quite ready to leave yet. We are making such good friends here! But I am still so excited to go to Paris. The travel office told me to stop by the office today after noon (friday) and they should be able to give me SOME idea of when I will be leaving. But I will let you know as soon as I can.
I am doing extremely well here with my french. It is coming along just great. I can pretty much read and understand everything in the Scriptures however there are still occasions when I struggle or it takes me a few mins to figure out. I have taught a few practice lessons in french so far and have another tonight but those are going just great also.
Anyways my time is up but I love you soo Much. I hope you are still doing just great!
Love you momma,
-Elder Morgan
Friday, October 29, 2010
Mom!
Thanks soooo much for all of your emails :) they have been so great to read. I am working hard here at the mtc. Me and my companion are getting along just great. I cant tell you how happy your emails have made me today.
There are a few things that I still need here at the MTC. I need Andrews address. I wrote him a letter but I cant send it until i have an address. I will get back online later at some point today so if you get this email, please try to respond as quickly as possible. If not, NO WORRIES. I would like a few pictures from home so i can show people here my family. If possible I would also like a picture of grandma, Max, Andy and anybody else that you think I would enjoy having a picture of. Would you also buy a pair of cheap ear plugs for me? My companion is a light sleeper and we are roomates with two HUGE polynesian guys who are exactly quiet sleepers. :) I'm not worried about how soon I give them to him but I would like to be able to give him a present of some sort before we leave the MTC.
More later!
Elder Morgan
Thanks soooo much for all of your emails :) they have been so great to read. I am working hard here at the mtc. Me and my companion are getting along just great. I cant tell you how happy your emails have made me today.
There are a few things that I still need here at the MTC. I need Andrews address. I wrote him a letter but I cant send it until i have an address. I will get back online later at some point today so if you get this email, please try to respond as quickly as possible. If not, NO WORRIES. I would like a few pictures from home so i can show people here my family. If possible I would also like a picture of grandma, Max, Andy and anybody else that you think I would enjoy having a picture of. Would you also buy a pair of cheap ear plugs for me? My companion is a light sleeper and we are roomates with two HUGE polynesian guys who are exactly quiet sleepers. :) I'm not worried about how soon I give them to him but I would like to be able to give him a present of some sort before we leave the MTC.
More later!
Elder Morgan
Friday, October 22, 2010
Hey mom,
So It turns out my p-days are on friday! So far the MTC is really really cool! I love it here. I got a flu shot yesterday and I think it made me sick though ha ha. But I am still having a blast.
The MTC is a lot like College I think just with a few additional rules. But I really LOVE IT. I am in the COOLEST district ever. Its called district 56 and it is strictly an international group. I am the only american in it, but the thing we all have in common is that we are 'advanced in out mission field language".
My companion is Elder Wollauer (pronounced; Vule-Hour) and her is from Germany. He is a pretty awesome guy. There are about 4 companionships in our Branch, My self and Elder Wollauer, Two elders from Sweden (totally cool guys, Elder Hultgren and Elder Bautista) who me and My companion were roomates with for our first night in the MTC. The Second night we moved to a different room and now we are roomates with two HUGE polynesian guys. Elder Filiphia is from Auckland New Zealand, and Elder Amataga is from Samoa! They are my favorites I think. They are so huge and intimidating its crazy, but when you look up to talk to them all you can see is the Hugest smile. Elder Amataga is our district leader and me and him are becoming good friends (along with my companion ofcourse).
Apparently the first week at the MTC is a little crazy, but I have been told that it slows down after sunday. We get 30 mins on the computer to write emails, and while I am in the MTC I can only write emails to family, so If you see Max please tell him I say hi and that I will write him a letter later today and mail it to his house.
So my departure date has been set as November 9th, But French passports are really difficult to get right now and they are taking A LONG time I guess :( So please Pray that mine will come quickly!
Alright so what else do I need to tell you??? The food here is great.... oh and apparently I am good at soccer??? We played yesterday for our Gym session (we get 5 each week and they are 1 hour long) But the Elders from Sweden are Really good at soccer and I don't think they expected me to be any good. But after I scored the first goal and made a pretty awesome pass for the second goal they both warmed up to me.... Ha ha I thought that was really funny.
Okay what else! How are things going for you? How is work? And Grae? Can you send me Grae's email address and Dad's too? My time is almost up here. I am going to have to come to the computer more prepared and organized so I get get more out of my emails! Anyways Hope everything is going good back home! love ya!
-Elder Morgan
Welcome!!
Welcome! I thought that this would be the easiest way to keep everyone up to date on Mason and his mission. Current letters (or portions of them) will be posted here along with photos, current addresses and other info that will help you stay connected to Mason. Please feel free to scan and email me any letters or photos Mason may send to you that you would like to share here too!
May I begin this blog with gratitude for your love, support and friendship as well as a request for your prayers for our family as Mason is away. He needs so much to feel your love and support for him as he endeavors to do what he knows is right by serving his God and his fellow man. Your words of encouragement and support and your prayers are exactly what he (and we) need right now! Thanks for being there for our family! Please know how much we love and appreciate you all!
-A
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